Medical expert: Lukaku ‘at risk’ amid ‘very concerning’ Chelsea situation
Chelsea superstar Romelu Lukaku may be rushed back after his Covid bout despite major concerns about his overall fitness.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Lukaku, signed from Inter Milan for a club-record £97.5million in August, confirmed last Friday (17 December) that he had tested positive for Covid.
He is one of five Chelsea players currently isolated with the virus, with four more sidelined with injuries.
The 28-year-old has started just once since mid-October after spending several weeks out with an ankle sprain.
Dinnery claims that the length of Chelsea’s absentee list may mean the Belgian is brought straight back into the first XI after his Covid recovery.
“It will take him a little while to get back to full fitness,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“He has had that one start since recovering from a high-ankle sprain. Tuchel deemed him not even ready to start in the Premier League.
“There were already concerns and this setback will only serve to put him further back.
“There are concerns about his fitness. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t start when he returns, given the extent of the current Covid situation.
“Kante and Kovacic have come back, players who you ordinarily wouldn’t consider. But it’s a very concerning situation across the league at the moment.
“The way football clubs are being managed at the moment means these risks need to be taken.
“Unfortunately, players are at risk. They are coming back when they are not at optimum levels and they are being overloaded.
“Coaches aren’t able to rotate because there isn’t that depth of squad.”
Lukaku has scored five times and laid on one assist in 16 appearances in his second stint with Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have dropped several points in recent weeks and trail league leaders Man City by six points.
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